IBI calls for commercial radio consideration in RTÉ broadcast funding plans

[Tony Sweeney]

IBI calls for commercial radio consideration in RTÉ broadcast funding plans
by Roy Martin

The IBI has today highlighted the challenges facing core News and
Current Affairs in the sector.
It comes following the announcement of the recovery plan in RTÉ and in
the context of publicity about major and imminent Government decisions
on broadcast funding.
The IBI believes believe it is absolutely vital that the crisis in News
and Current Affairs in the sector is central to consideration by
Government of wider funding for broadcasting.
The Independent Broadcasters of Ireland Chief Executive, Michael Kelly,
said: “I would be highly concerned if the problems in RTÉ as outlined
today were to be addressed in isolation without taking into account the
need to preserve the core, day-to-day, News and Current Affairs in the
independent sector, which constitutes very important Public Service
Content provided to listeners by our stations. Currently zero funding
from the Exchequer or TV licence is provided to the independent sector
for its core News and Current Affairs.
“The survival of broadcast media is not just about RTÉ, and I have today
written to the leaders of all of the political parties emphasising the
nature of the crisis and seeking meetings to discuss it,” he said.
He continued: “While most of the public attention in the past year has
related understandably to issues and problems around RTÉ, we in
independent radio would emphasise that we face extremely serious
challenges in funding and resourcing the specific News and Current
Affairs part of our services.
“Against the background or major funding and resourcing challenges, it
is clear that none of the schemes proposed up to now can help the core
News and Current Affairs to survive and thrive in our sector in the near
term.
“The Independent Broadcasters of Ireland believes that interim financial
support can be, and must be, urgently made available to our sector.
There is a crisis in News and Current Affairs in our sector and the
direction of travel at the moment is that it could disappear, as has
happened in regions in the UK and US.
“Helping save News and Current Affairs in Ireland’s independent radio
sector can be done at a small fraction of the funding provided for
broadcasting overall. Action is urgently needed now.”
https://radiotoday.ie/2024/06/ibi-calls-for-commercial-radio-consideration-in-rte-broadcast-funding-plans/